The Efficacy and Safety of Propranolol in Treating Infantile Hemangioma: A Prospective Study

Abstract

: Hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors that often develop in infants. The most common treatment option for complicated hemangiomas is propranolol. We discuss the use of oral propranolol in treating infantile hemangioma (IH) in an Iranian population at our hospital. We conducted a cross-sectional prospective descriptive study on 62 infants aged 1 to 16 months from 2017 to 2021. Propranolol was gradually administered orally at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day. The hemangioma score was examined at 6 intervals (first visit, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months later). Propranolol therapies were stopped when there was no further decrease in scores for 2 successive visits. The study was completed by 62 patients. In terms of hemangiomas, 46 (74.2%) patients had 1 lesion, 12 (19.4%) had 2 lesions, and 4 (6.5%) had 3 lesions. Over time, the average size of hemangiomas steadily decreased, such that 5 patients (9.1%) were completely treated; 1 patient improved after 3 months, 3 after 6 months, 1 after 9 months, and 57 (91.9%) were partially treated. Aside from being safe and effective, propanol can also obtain a higher response rate when treatment is started early in infants aged less than 3 months.